We tell our kids that, because boo-ing is hurtful and unsportsmanlike, they shouldn’t do it. So why do we adults do it–at sports events (even kids’ games!), political speeches, city council meetings, etc.?
A recent incident on an American Airlines flight was particularly unconscionable. When the captain realized that his 45-minute-late flight endangered a family’s ability to make their connecting flight, he asked passengers to stay seated while “a special military family” could deplane. First-class passengers who felt they weren’t getting what they paid for loudly complained and booed the family as they got off the plane.
The family was rushing to catch the connecting flight to meet the remains of their son and sister, whose service caused his death in Afghanistan by a suicide bomber. The passengers didn’t have all the facts but booed anyway, causing even more grief to this Gold Star family.
Rest in peace, Army Sgt. John Perry.
Be at peace, Perry family.
Boo-ers of the world, remember what you’ve told your children, learn from this experience, and be kind to your fellow human beings.